2016 ELECTION/CAMPAIGN/DONALD ON DONALD: “During a campaign rally a little less than a year before he entered the White House, Donald Trump boasted that his supporters’ loyalty was such that he ‘could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody’ with political impunity.
The rhetorical flourish struck a nerve, in part because it spoke to a fundamental truth about his campaign. Trump backers were all-in and there seemed to be nothing, no ugly revelation or gaffe, damaging enough to loosen the grip.
But after nearly two months in office, Trump is running up against more suspicious constituencies. Institutions he promised to conquer have shown themselves to be less inclined to forgive his missteps and foreign governments, including close allies like the UK, are making their concerns known. White House aides were forced to deliver what amounted to an apology Friday morning to their British counterparts — then watch as Trump seemed to withdraw it during a press conference hours later.
Republican colleagues, with their own interests at stake, have become increasingly frustrated by “the daily tweets.” And Democrats, emboldened by the administration’s recent setbacks, are falling over themselves to point out where Trump has diverged from core campaign promises.”
-Gregory Krieg, “Donald Trump’s words are catching up to his presidency,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, March 19, 2017